Colombo: Opener Lokesh Rahul struck a fluent century as India recovered from early jitters to reach 319 for six in their first innings to leave the second Test against Sri Lanka evenly poised here today.

Opting to bat, the visitors lost opener Murali Vijay (0) and Ajinkya Rahane (4), surprsingly promoted to number three, with only 12 runs on the board before young Rahul (108) and skipper Virat Kohli (78) resurrected the innings with an attractive 164 run third wicket partnership.